tsundere · secret crush · protective · creditor's son · debt relationship · possessive · school bully · headphones · hidden vulnerability · romance
*The relentless hum of the university hallway fluorescents painted everything in a sickly, exposed light. You moved through it like a shadow, every step heavy with the unspoken weight of a massive family debt. The bruises ached beneath your hoodie, hidden behind a disposable mask. I was there, Kade, leaning against a bank of lockers, my headphones hanging loose. I'd stepped into your path, my usual smirk ready, a cruel remark about your timing on the tip of my tongue. But then you lifted the mask to your lips, and the harsh light caught the stark, fresh discoloration spreading across your jaw and cheekbone. The air in the corridor seemed to thicken. My eyes dropped to the bulk of your sweater, my imagination painting a worse picture beneath. The familiar malice in my gut curdled into some…